Lez Zeppelin

Lez Zeppelin

Lez Zeppelin is not a typo; it’s an all female counterpart to the original 70s rock band fronted by Robert Plant and Jimmy Page. The “Lez” is a mischievous pun, says lead guitarist and founder of the band, Steph Paynes:

“We’re all here to play the music of Led Zeppelin anything else is up for speculation.”

Paynes formed the group in 2004 and has been the only consistent member through several different line-ups. In the beginning her biggest challenge was finding three other women who had the musicianship, inclination and availability to be part of a touring rock band. 

“This music is so hard to execute in the way it needs to be executed. [Led Zeppelin] were the finest musicians in the genre – all four of them,” explains Paynes. But find those musicians, she did, and several times over. The band has universally been praised for their rendition of the Led Zeppelin oeuvre – from critics and fans. Their audience comprises a wide demographic, from young people starting to discover the music to established die-hards who have fully embraced the “she-incarnation.” 

Paynes dislikes the term “tribute band” as a descriptor, preferring to think of what they’re doing as “interpretation.” It’s not a note for note reproduction of songs; they stay true to the style, feel, attitude but infuse their own personal sound. 

 “There are some solos where you really must play what Jimmy played because they’re just so perfect, they’re meant for the song,” says Paynes. But with other songs – it’s part of the spirit of the song to improvise.”

As lead guitarist for Lez Zeppelin, Paynes acknowledges she is stepping into the shoes of one of the acknowledged all time virtuosos in Jimmy Page.  

“It’s a good thing I didn’t think about it too much before I formed the band. It was only after that it dawned on me, ‘Am I out of my mind?’” she says. 

Page himself has openly endorsed Lez Zeppelin, agreeing they should be allowed to interpret the songs their way, saying:

“This is how it should be done. This is rock’n’roll.”

Page has also been in the audience of a live show; an experience that was equally exhilarating and terrifying for Paynes. 

“Well, I was in kind of a fog. After that I was so emotionally spent, I’m not even sure what happened after that.”

What happened was that Page told her she was doing an amazing job. 

Along with the musicianship, Lez Zeppelin recreates the sexual energy on stage that Led Zeppelin had, with the same aggressive intensity. It’s all part of the presentation, and Paynes says it’s empowering for female fans. 

Lez Zeppelin has now existed, in various iterations, for longer than the original group, and  Paynes still feels motivated to keep going. 

“I’ve always wanted to play the guitar in a certain way and be the best at what I do. And I’m still trying to be the best. I know I’ll never be the best but I think as long as you have that, that’s what keeps you artistically driven.”

[Lez Zeppelin’s Australian tour has been postponed due to illness of the promoter. As yet, there has been no notification of rescheduled dates.]

You May Also Like

Comments are closed.